For achieving both functions of receiving papers and supporting different-sized papers, the current office machine such as a copying device, a printing device or a scanning device is usually equipped with a paper tray having an extension mechanism.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the outward appearance of a conventional office machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional office machine 100 comprises a paper tray 130 for supporting papers. The paper tray 130 comprises a first portion 131, a second portion 132, and a third portion 138. The second portion 132 is disposed under the first portion 131, and movable relative to the first portion 131. The third portion 138 is pivotally coupled to a distal end of the second portion 132, and rotatable relative to the second portion 132.
Please refer to FIG. 1 again. The first portion 131 of the paper tray 130 comprises a guiding structure 133 and two protrusion structures 136 and 137. The second portion 132 of the paper tray 130 comprises two grooves 134 and 135. Moreover, the third portion 138 of the paper tray 130 comprises a stopping edge structure 139.
The guiding structure 133 and the protrusion structures 136 and 137 are disposed on a bottom surface of the first portion 131 and contacted with both sides of the second portion 132 for supporting and guiding the second portion 132. The grooves 134 and 135 are formed in a top surface of the second portion 132. The protrusion structures 136 and 137 are respectively aligned with the grooves 134 and 135 in order to guide the second portion 132.
For supporting large-sized papers, the paper tray 130 should be expanded. For expanding the paper tray 130, the second portion 132 is moved relative to the first portion along the guiding structure 133 and the protrusion structures 136 and 137. Meanwhile, since the supporting range of the paper tray 130 is increased, the paper tray 130 can support different-sized papers.
Moreover, the paper tray 130 may be further expanded in order to further increase the supporting range of the paper tray 130 and achieve a stopping function of the paper tray 130. As shown in FIG. 1, after the third portion 138 pivotally coupled to and stacked on the second portion 132 is rotated relative to the second portion 132 by 180 degrees, the supporting range of the paper tray 130 is further expanded. Moreover, since the stopping edge structure 139 of the third portion 138 is oriented in the direction perpendicular to the papers, the possibility of falling down the papers from the paper tray 130 will be largely reduced.
Although the paper tray 130 of the conventional office machine 100 has the functions of receiving papers and supporting different-sized papers, there are still some drawbacks. For storing the paper tray 130, the third portion 138 is firstly rotated to be staked on the second portion 132, and then the second portion 132 is moved to the region under the first portion 131 along the guiding structure 133 and the protrusion structures 136 and 137.
In other words, the process of manually storing the paper tray 130 is not user-friendly. Moreover, if the user forgets to rotate the third portion 138 but directly move the second portion 132 to the region under the first portion 131, the third portion 138 fails to be successfully stored.
Meanwhile, although the second portion 132 has been stored, the second portion 132 should be expanded again in order to store the third portion 138. Under this circumstance, the process of manually storing the paper tray 130 wastes additional time.